Wednesday, April 5, 2017

19 extraordinary things to do in metro Detroit this week

Wednesday, 4/5
Chicano Batman
@ El Club
What are you doing tonight? Chicano Batman is a quartet from Los Angeles, and their music, which dabbles in a psychedelic hodgepodge of updated Tropicalia so fervent that you feel like you’re at the beach, definitely reflects that. Totally go to this, OK. Their music definitely radiates a late ’60s, early ’70s West Coast vibe. They’ve taken their influences from their favorite soul groups and definitely do them justice. They’ve opened for the Alabama Shakes and Jack White, and have played Coachella. Their third album, Freedom Is Free, was released earlier this year, and it really illustrates how far the band has come since their 2009 debut.
Doors open at 8 p.m.; 4114 W. Vernor Hwy., Detroit; elclubdetroit.com; Tickets are $12.

Thursday, 4/6
Darude
@ The Grasshopper Underground
That’s right. This is the guy behind that 1999 EDM track that haunts you in your nightmares, “Darude Sandstorm.” Darude has won three Finnish Grammy Awards, and has remained cutting edge for decades thanks to his progressive sounds and techniques. He’s kept a strong fan base because of just how uplifting his music is, and his many awards go to show that he knows how to make his music to accessible. It’s all easy to dance to, even for trance music.
Doors open at 9 p.m.; 22757 Woodward Ave., Detroit; facebook.com/thegrasshopperunderground.com; Show is free before 10 p.m. with RSVP.

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Capital at the Detroit Repertory Theatre. Courtesy photo.

Thursday-Sunday, 4/6-9
Capital
@ Detroit Repertory Theatre
Based on a true-ish series of events in 19th century London, Capital is a rollicking good time — and a story we can all relate to. The story follows Karl Marx and his teenage daughter. She wants a fashionable silk bonnet, and he doesn’t want to buy it for her. The reasons why include that he is a political writer and has dedicated his life to teaching to principles of communal economy, but also he’s flat broke. Quite serendipitously, a scandalous letter, replete with sordid details about an affair between two famous people, falls into their laps. The younger Marx thinks she’s found a way to buy her new bonnet, but her father’s not sold.
Shows start at 8:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, and 7:30 p.m. on Sunday; 3 p.m. matinee on Saturday only; 13103 Woodrow Wilson; Detroit; 313-868-1347: detroitreptheatre.com; tickets are $20.

Friday, 4/7
Frank & Tony
@ The Marble Bar
Brooklyn house duo Frank & Tony have been really good at staying busy. While both halves of the duo have their own successful careers in dance music, together they’ve taken their skills to another level. While they know how to make house that you can dance to, they’re even better at making slow, melancholy music that will leave anyone in a trance. It’s a good balance, and it’s accessible to even the most casual listeners of the genre.
Doors open at 9 p.m.; 1501 Holden St., Detroit; residentadvisor.com; Tickets are $10.

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Joel Fluent Greene hosts Mahogany at the Museum. Courtesy photo.

Friday, 4/7
Mahogany at the Museum: The Women of Vision Slam Poetry
@ Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History
Due to that outrageous wind storm earlier this month, this is a rescheduled date for Mahogany at the Museum: The Women of Vision Slam Poetry. If you bought tickets to the original event, take note. All tickets will be honored, making them even more scarce for folks who’re hoping to attend this slam poetry show. It will feature 15 women poets as they compete for a chance to win $500, a paid performance with show organizer Joel Fluent Greene, and the first annual Woman of Vision award. The whole thing is a celebration of National Poetry Month.
Doors open at 7 p.m.; show starts at 8 p.m.; 315 E. Warren Ave., Detroit; thewright.org; tickets are $15 in advance, $20 at the door.

Friday, 4/7
The Last Waltz 40 Tour
@ The Fox Theatre
The Last Waltz is arguably one of the greatest live event film/albums in rock ‘n’ roll history, and the Band was one of the best to ever exist. Because all but two of the Band’s members have passed away, outside musicians have banded together to pay tribute to the album’s 40th anniversary and are taking the masterpiece across the globe. The group consists of Warren Haynes, Michael McDonald, Jamey Johnson, John Medeski, Don Was, and Terence Higgins, all of whom are remarkably talented musicians, and will do far more than pay their respects to this fantastic work and band.
Doors open at 8 p.m.; 2211 Woodward Ave., Detroit; olympiaentertainment.com; Tickets are $29.50-$125.

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Detroit International Festival of Animation. Courtesy photo.

Friday-Saturday, 4/7-8
Detroit International Festival of Animation
@ Tangent Gallery
Showcasing wildly diverse work by both local and international filmmakers and animators, the Detroit International Festival of Animation will feature 95 minutes of animated shorts — some silly and some sophisticated. The festival will also feature an animation expo where patrons can shop for animation and comic inspired art by local artists, animators, zine publishers, and comic creators. According to festival organizers, cosplay is welcomed and encouraged at this event. There will be a full bar, snacks, popcorn, and some hot foods available during the festival as well.
Doors open at 6 p.m. on Friday, with showtimes at 7 and 9 p.m.; doors open at 4 p.m. on Saturday with showtimes at 5, 7, and 9 p.m.; the expo closes at midnight both days; 715 E. Milwaukee St., Detroit; difestofanim.com; tickets are $10; 18 and older only.

Friday-Sunday, 4/7-9
Ferndale Vintage Fashion Market
@ Rust Belt Market
Do you prefer to don threads that were probably worn by someone who is dead now? Well, do we have the perfect event for you! Jokes aside, the Ferndale Vintage Fashion Market is a one-of-a-kind three-day vintage clothing extravaganza that will bring together some of the best dealers in the area. You’ll be able to shop styles from the 1930s through the ’80s, while getting to make face-to-face connections with sellers. If you’re a vintage vixen, this event is a can’t-miss.
Market runs from 2-9 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday, and 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday; 22801 Woodward Ave., Ferndale; free.

Friday, 4/7
Exposures opening reception
@ Lawrence Street Gallery
Want to get a load of some of the best local photography? Exposures is an annual exhibit that features a juried selection of works by local artists. The photos won’t be selected until after time of press, but we can tell you from experience that the featured photos will be moving and inspiring. The show will run April 28 with a mid-month reception on April 21 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Starts at 6 p.m.; 22620 Woodward Ave., Ferndale; 248-544-0394; lawrencestreetgallery.com; admission is free.

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Perilous Times @ the Fisher Theatre. Courtesy photo.

Friday-Sunday, 4/7-9
Perilous Times
@ Fisher Theatre
If the premise seems a little cooky, consider that the most extraordinary Bible stories include talking bushes, the parting of seas, and angelic messages. Perilous Times, a stage productions by T. J. Hemphill, follows a troubled young man who finds himself owing money to a drug dealer. He’s knocked unconscious and finds himself transported back to Biblical days. Talk about culture shock. An angel appears to him and the pair take a journey that will change his life forever. The gospel play is celebrating nearly three decades in production and has experienced success in Chicago, Jacksonville, and New Orleans.
Starts at 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, starts at 7:30 p.m. on Sunday; 3011 W. Grand Blvd, Detroit; 313-972-4000; broadwayindetroit.com; tickets start at $25.

New Found Glory will perform two consecutive dates at the Magic Stick. Courtesy photo.

Saturday-Sunday, 4/8-9
New Found Glory: 20 Years of Pop Punk
@ Magic Stick
It’s been two decades since New Found Glory formed and started spewing nasally, melancholic lyrics set to ridiculously catchy pop punk instrumentation. The original recorded version of “Hit or Miss” came out on their 1999 debut, Nothing Gold Can Stay. They were some of the original scenesters, the predecessors to modern day hipsters. The core group has managed to stay together, and now they’re touring the country to celebrate the band’s 20th birthday. They’ll be performing two consecutive dates at the newly reopened Magic Stick.
Shows start at 7:30 p.m.; 4140 Woodward Ave., Detroit; majesticdetroit.com; tickets are $27 in advance and $32 at the door.

Saturday, 4/8
Big Wild with Phantoms & IHF
@ The Majestic Theatre
Big Wild, an electronic DJ, producer, composer, and engineer, has been manufacturing great hip-hop beats since he was a teenager. Phantom is an EDM duo comprised of two former teen actors Kyle Kaplan and Vinnie Pergola, who had guest spots on shows like Hannah Montana and That’s So Raven. They’ve broken out of that yoke though, and have gotten pretty big in Los Angeles’ EDM scene. In addition to creating their own music, they’ve done some pretty interesting remixes of Phoenix and Arcade Fire songs.
Doors open at 8 p.m.; 4140 Woodward Ave., Detroit; majesticdetroit.com; Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 the day of.

Saturday, 4/8
The Loving Story
@ Dossin Great Lakes Museum
If you need to be convinced to see a free movie on a Saturday afternoon, OK, fine. We will convince you. As part of their spring film series, the Dossin Great Lakes Museum is screening The Loving Story, a movie about the Richard and Mildred Loving. In 1958, their interracial marriage sparked ire among local Jim Crow enthusiasts. Shortly after their marriage, the couple were arrested and forced to live in exile or else separate or face jail time. After raising their children in Washington, D.C., they wished to return home to be near their families. After contacting an American Civil Liberties Union attorney, they helped make laws against interracial marriage a thing of the past.
Starts at 2 p.m.; 100 The Strand, Detroit; 313-833-5538; detroithistorical.org; admission is free.

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Bill Maher will opine at the Fox on Saturday. Courtesy photo.

Saturday, 4/8
Bill Maher
@ Fox Theatre
TBH, we’re kind of miffed with Bill Maher. The liberal talk-show host booked right-wing-barbie-nut-job Tomi Lahren and unequivocally let her off the hook for being the absolute worst. So, like, we’re not saying you shouldn’t go see this show. We don’t care if you hang out with Bill. We’re just saying, can you really trust a so-called sociopolitical commentator who can sit in the presence of Satan herself without lighting himself on fire?
Starts at 8 p.m.; 2211 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313-471-6611; olympiaentertainment.com; tickets are $40 and $60.

Saturday-Sunday, 4/8-9
Kite-making workshop
@ Detroit Institute of Arts
Kite-making and flying is a tradition that crosses cultures and races. According to Margo Dalal, one of the organizers of the imminent Detroit Kite Festival, almost every culture has some variation of kiting. Detroit itself once had a vibrant kite-flying community, but as those folks age, it is becoming a dying art. Now, the Detroit Institute of Arts is hosting kite-making workshops that will help spark an interest in the younger generation. Plus, it’s a great lead up to the promised first-ever Detroit Kite Festival on Belle Isle this July.
Runs from noon to 4 p.m. both days; 5200 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313-833-7900; dia.org; free with museum admission.

Tuesday, 4/11
Elephant Revival
@ Otus Supply
Elephant Revival is a really cool Scottish/Celtic indie-rock band whose unique blend of traditional music and modern indie is compelling and original. The band, based out of Nederland, Colo., has released five studio albums, all of which have been pretty great. Their latest album, 2016’s Petals, brought fans new favorite songs in the form of “When I Fall” and “Season Song.” While the album features a lot of rich strings, it maintains the intimate, bare quality that fans have come to know and love. Petals is exactly what you would want from the band at this point in their careers.
Doors open at 7 p.m.; 345 E. Nine Mile Rd., Ferndale; elephantrevival.com; Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 at the door.

Tuesday, 4/11
The Psychedelic Furs, Robyn Hitchcock
@ The Majestic Theatre
The Psychedelic Furs are one of the best rock bands of the ’80s, and their fans are devout. They’ve been reunited since 2000, and they’re better than ever. Robyn Hitchcock, who will open for them at this show, gained prominence in the late ’70s as a member of the Soft Boys. While he’s primarily a guitarist and vocalist, he also plays piano, harmonica, and bass guitar for his shows. He was heavily influenced by Bob Dylan and John Lennon, and you can definitely tell when you listen to him. Hitchcock’s well-deserved cult following is huge, and has been since the early ’80s. His music, which blends comedy and melancholy perfectly, would appeal to anyone, and as talented as he is as an instrumentalist, he definitely is an equal lyricist.
Doors open at 8 p.m.; 4140 Woodward Ave., Detroit; majesticdetroit.com; Tickets are $29.50 in advance and $35 the day of.

Tuesday, 4/11
Cube, Siobahn, Sikk Laffter, New Me
@ UFO Factory
Cube is Adam Keith’s new electronic music project. Based out of Oakland, Calif., Cube plays with nearly every possible awesome facet of electronic music. His first LP, My Cube, was recently released to great reviews because of how diverse the music is. DJ Sikk Laffter is not to be trifled with; seriously don’t even consider approaching this person either while performing, or when done. All four artists have their own unique way of doing electronic music. It’s pretty rare to see a lineup like this, so if it’s your thing, you won’t want to miss it.
Doors open at 9 p.m.; 2110 Trumbull St., Detroit; ufofactory.com; Tickets are $8.